Arx Academy: Amelia's Dilemma

Annie's tail twitched excitedly as the new smells and sounds overwhelmed her senses as she walked through the doors of Arx Academy. From the outside it looked like any other normal college building. A big square box with a handful of entrances and exits, and a myriad of windows dotting the outside. It was the inside that made Arx stand out.   Arx was one of the top rated Magical Advancement Schools, or MAS, in the entire continent of Avalon. Only magically-gifted people were allowed to attend a MAS after finishing their basic education high school. Arx was very prestigious - and expensive. Those who graduated were often given the highest paying positions and best opportunities. She had been lucky to get into Arx, and planned on putting all her energy into her studies. A small burst of determination gradually blossomed into a smile on her lips.   The hallways inside were huge and for good reason. They were jammed full with people. Groups of students as large as ten stood around swapping stories, gossip, schedules, and supplies. Annie's heart fluttered, from nervous-anxious-excitement as people filled the space around her. She had never been around so many individuals, let alone, humans before.    Most of Annie's unusual features she concealed under a large black hoodie. It went down past her hips, partially covering her tail. The backpack slung over her shoulder helped to hide it as well. Her pointed, red-furred ears were nestled underneath the hood. She could feel them strain underneath, trying to pick up on each of the conversations around her. Her golden hair spilled out around her hood, contrasting sharply with the dark color. Her equally golden eyes shimmered in the natural light that flooded in from the ceiling, but she kept her head down trying to attract as little attention as possible.   'Just one foot in front of the other' she told herself, 'No one notices anything different about you. It's all going to be o-' lost in mental concentration and looking at the floor, she propelled herself straight into a large rock. With a squeak she bounced off of it, dropping the couple of books she was carrying.   "What the f**k?" What she had, for a split second, mistaken for a rock was actually a large, brawny jock in a tight letter jacket. His creamy yet slightly tan face twisted into full contempt as he crossed his large arms. He was sporting a perfect blonde crew cut that contrasted with his dark green eyes. Annie shrunk in his shadow, making herself feel even shorter then she already was. Towering over her, she could tell that his thick shoulders and torso were all muscle.   "If you weren't a girl I would kick your ass right here and now!" he roared. Scrambling, she scooped up her books and muttered a quick apology, but he wasn't done yet. People around them had stopped, waiting to see the show. "Not so fast! You gotta' pay the halltoll." He went to snatch her collar but she dodged out of the way. She felt his thick fingers brush the back her head, snagging onto her hood.   "Seriously you think you can run from -" he stopped, his jaw hung open as he stared at her ears. There were gasps throughout the entire hallway. Whispers started buzzing around as people began pointing. The guy looked her up and down. He knocked her books out of her hands and grabbed her hoodie, yanking it up over head. Her shirt came up with it, revealing the bottom of her bra. Bright pink with embarrassment she quickly covered herself but the damage was already done.   "Look at this little freak! Look at those ears!" People started taking pictures. One of the other guys from his group came up behind her and grabbed her tail. She growled, whipping around. He started laughing. "Be careful, I think she bites!" the brawny jock called out. He kicked her fallen books to the side. They smacked into the wall with a 'thawk.' He began advancing toward her. Out of instinct she swiped at him with her short claws. The big jock pretended to swipe at the air and meowed at her, before busting into another laughing fit. Now, there was a mix between people laughing and starring in disbelief at her features.  "Watch it, Ruben, she might have rabies!" called the other jock from her left. Another wave of laughter rippled throughout the crowd. "Jerks," she hissed. She felt tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Uh oh, looks like you upset the little freak!" She waited until the other jock circled out from behind her before back-stepping and bolting into the crowd. She pushed her way through crowd, breaking through the other side of the ring that had formed. She could hear them calling her, begging her to come back and play before breaking into hysteria once more. If only she could do Magick she would have shown them. Running through the halls she quickly found a bathroom and threw herself into the door. Her weight pushed it open revealing a very spacious and elegant room. She shut it quickly, went to one of the stalls, and locked herself in. Now the tears fell freely down her soft face. She knew her kin were rare outside of the Hinita Islands. Coming to this place, she knew it would be difficult to fit in but it wasn't like she was some kind of mythical creature! Surely, these people had at one point in their lives seen a Foxkin? Some of the most famous Magical people were Foxkin, and yet she was being treated like an enigma. She buried her head even deeper into her chest. They looked down on her because of her physical differences. She regretted coming here. She regretted begging her parents to save money to send her to this school. Day one and it was already a disaster. She sat down on the lid of the toliet and pulled her knees up to her chest. A boom echoed from outside of the restroom door and the ground shook. 'Ugh, what now?' she buried her head in her hands.